Restoring specific database or specific collection

In this recipe, we will explore the options of mongorestore utility that allow us to restore backups for a specific database or collection. We will also look at how to exclude certain collections or databases during restoration.

Getting ready

You need a single-node MongoDB installation, preferably with some data in it. Refer to the Creating an index recipe in Chapter 2, Understanding and Managing Indexes, on how to import sample data into a MongoDB instance.

How to do it...

1. Connect to the MongoDB server via mongo shell, and insert about 1,000 random documents:

for(var x=0; x<1000; x++){ db.mycol.insert({age:(Math.round(Math.random()*100)%20) }) }

2. Immediately switch to a different Terminal, and take the backup:

mongodump --out /backups/dump/

3. You should see output similar to this:

2017-10-06T08:02:38.082+0000 writing admin.system.version
2017-10-06T08:02:38.083+0000 done dumping admin.system.version (1 document)
2017-10-06T08:02:38.083+0000 writing...